Wargaming from Hertfordshire & Beyond!

Sunday, 3 March 2024

Never Mind the Billhooks - Wars of the Roses

 A version of Blore Heath. Simon & Tony controlled the Yorkist forces and Chris & Phil the Lancastrians. Pre-game each force was split into three Battles, with one randomly selected Battle, on each side, arriving a bit late. The brook was considered Difficult Ground, except at the fords.

Using pre-game manoeuvring, both sides basically faced-off one Battle across each of the fords. On the Lancastrian left / Yorkist right an uneasy stand-off developed, while Tony tried to edge his Yorkists across the ford, with a small slow flanking move around their right, through the woods.


On the Yorkist left, Simon just stormed his Men-at-Arms across the ford, covered by his Longbowmen. However, Chris’ Billmen & archers bravely held the ford, driving the Yorkist Men-at-Arms back in disarray. Rather rashly Chris’ Lancastrians then decided to follow-up, crossing the ford, chasing the retreating Yorkist Men-at-Arms. Sadly however, they quickly ran into the Yorkist reinforcements, including mounted knights, turning the Lancastrian pursuit into an untidy rout!

Over on the Lancastrian left meanwhile, the arrival of reinforcements allowed the Lancastrians to prepare to take back the ford, but then the unfolding disaster on the right, forced the diversion of a large part of these reinforcements, causing the abandonment of the attempt to retake the ford. Result, a Yorkist win, by holding both fords.

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